beyond the arch: a strategic plan for serving georgia

The Univers i ty of Georgia | Publ ic Ser vice & Outreach

2 0 1 0 – 2 0 1 5Beyond the Arch: A Strategic Plan for Serving Georgia

The Univers i t y o f Georg ia | Pub l ic Ser v ice & Out reach

UGA Public Service and Outreach is . . .

Introduction

Mission

Public Service and Outreach Today

Strategic Goals 2010–2015

Conclusion

Appendix

Core Values

Guiding Principles

Environmental Scan

Indicators of Success

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• A national leader in university outreach

• The leader in bringing the university’s resources to each of Georgia’s 159 counties and 500+ cities and around the world, serving more than 110,000 individuals annually

• More than 500 faculty and staff

• Eight units providing diverse services: Archway Partnership, Carl Vinson Institute of Government, Fanning Institute, Georgia Center for Continu-ing Education Conference Center and Hotel, Marine Extension Service, Office of Service-Learning, Small Business Development Center, State Botanical Garden of Georgia

• Actively involving UGA students and faculty in outreach through partner-ships with all 16 schools and colleges

• Looking ahead with new strategies to help Georgia excel in meeting com-plex 21st-century challenges

UGA Public Service and Outreach is . . .


Public Service and Outreach (PSO) is central to the University of

Georgia’s land- and sea-grant mission. For over 80 years, PSO has

spearheaded the University’s efforts to use its resources to improve the

quality of life in Georgia. Today, whether extending life-long learning

through adult education, revitalizing a city’s downtown, or challenging

elected officials to lead more effectively, PSO assists partners in Georgia

and around the world in solving their most important public problems.

As the state’s land-grant university, UGA is in a unique position

to keep Georgia vibrant through the contributions of its teaching,

research, and service missions. In the 21st century, global influences

will continually impact the state and will require UGA to renew its

traditional outreach programming in order to help prepare Georgia

for the complex knowledge economy. Now more than ever, the state

needs a fresh commitment to UGA’s land-grant mission and increased

responsiveness from its public service and outreach programs.

Introduction

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This strategic plan builds on PSO’s long-standing programs and statewide connections to establish the following three goals for the next five years:

Goal 1: Build Human and Community Capacity—Mobilize the University’s Resources to Address Critical Issues in Georgia

Goal 2: Enhance Learning and Research—Create New Public Service and Outreach Avenues for Faculty and Students

Goal 3: Create a Flexible Organizational Culture—Emphasize Regular Assessment and Renewal of PSO Programs

To achieve these goals, PSO will launch new strategies that will help prepare Georgia to meet the challenges of a dynamic 21st-century world.

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UGA Public Service and

Outreach enhances quality

of life in Georgia by

applying the knowledge of

the University to the state’s

evolving economic, social,

and community needs.

Mission


The University of Georgia is home to a diverse array of public service and outreach programs that, since the 1920s, have demonstrated its commitment to serving the people of Georgia. Today, UGA is the state’s flagship institution and a nationally ranked Research I university dedicated to scholarship that addresses global problems and attracts the state’s top students for its academic programs.

As the University’s stature has grown, so too have demands for access to its programs and services. In response, UGA has made its presence felt in each of Georgia’s 159 counties and around the world through the work of its more than 500 public service faculty and staff. The work represents the best in engaging communities through, for example, Marine Extension technical assistance projects with shrimpers, hands-on research experience for horticulture students at the Botanical Garden, and partnerships with local schools to provide service-learning opportunities for UGA students that strengthen K –12 science education. In carrying out its work, PSO also helps advance the goals of the University’s 2010–2020 strategic plan.

The state’s current economic condition requires that Georgia’s colleges and universities not only meet increased expectations for access but also be even more creative in their ap-proaches to gaining financial support. PSO recognizes this need and in FY 10 produced a 210% return on its state-allocated resources. PSO, in turn, provided services that directly benefited Georgia communities as well as UGA faculty, staff, and students.

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PSO is committed to engaging undergraduate and graduate students in its work. This engagement provides research and service outlets to students while offering learning experiences to deepen their in-classroom instruction. In FY 10, through PSO programs,

• 39 graduate students received assistantships totaling $225,000;

• 300 undergraduate students worked collaboratively with PSO faculty and staff on applied projects serving communities, governments, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations;

• 158 student workers received professional experience in offices and programs on campus; and

• 6,500 students participated in course-based service-learning activities in partnership with the Office of the Vice President for Instruction.

PSO faculty partnered with academic faculty to leverage the University’s resources to tackle Georgia’s most critical issues. In FY 10, PSO

• partnered with all 16 of the University’s colleges and schools;

• provided more than $450,000 for UGA faculty and students to support scholarship that enhanced the work of PSO;

• cosponsored the Master of Public Administration program, Sea Grant Program, and Latin American and Caribbean Studies Institute; and

• partnered with the Office of the Vice President for Instruction to support the Office of Service-Learning Fellows program.

The combined impact of PSO projects affects a significant number of Georgians while bringing benefits to the Univer- sity. In FY 10, PSO

• received over $34 million in external funds,

• generated more than $1 million in indirect cost recovery, and

• served more than 110,000 individuals.


PSO has a strong

foundation and in the next

five years will build on its

strengths, embrace new

thinking, and redouble its

efforts to improve quality

of life in Georgia.

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Strategic Goals : 2010—2015Three strategic goals represent a new vision of a 21st-century model of public service and outreach. To achieve these goals, PSO will employ innovative strategies to address critical issues in Georgia and strengthen individuals and communities around the state and world.



Goal 3: Create a Flexible Organizational Culture—Emphasize Regular Assessment and Renewal of PSO Programs

7The Univers i ty of Georgia | Publ ic Ser vice & Outreach

Goal 1: Build Human and Community CapaCity— moBilize tHe univerSity’S reSourCeS to addreSS CritiCal iSSueS in GeorGia

Strong leaders are essential to moving Georgia forward. PSO is dedicated to building

individual and community capacity to sustain change and strengthen leadership.

This dedication is reflected across all PSO units and includes such signature

programs as the Vinson Institute’s local government training and Biennial Institute;

the Fanning Institute’s training of school leaders, land-grant university administra-

tors, and environmental leaders; the Small Business faculty’s job-creation efforts;

and the Georgia Center’s extensive continuing education offerings. Building on these

strengths, over the next five years PSO will mobilize the resources of the University to

develop effective 21st-century leaders and strengthen Georgia communities.

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Strategy 1.1 | DevelOP GeOrGia’S Human CaPital

Preparing leaders for the 21st-century knowledge econ-omy will require increased access to lifelong learning opportunities through a variety of delivery methods. To this end, PSO will accomplish the following:

• Expand leadership development and training programs for government, education, business, and community leaders.

• Create professional development programs focused on certification and recertification. Partnerships with appropriate academic units will be strengthened or established as appropriate.

• Conduct a market analysis to examine PSO’s existing continuing education and professional development programs in order to identify new markets.

• Assess and evaluate the effectiveness of PSO training programs in order to continually update and modernize curricula.

• Become a national leader in innovative delivery platforms and approaches.

Strategy 1.2 | DevelOP GeOrGia COmmunitieS

In the future, PSO must respond in a more compre-hensive way to the evolving needs of Georgia. In the past, PSO units typically have worked independently to develop solutions to critical public issues. During the next five years, the VP’s Office will lead a PSO-wide initiative that integrates the work of the units in order to tackle a specific issue statewide or set of issues in a community. The VP’s Office will focus resources on the following activities:

• Developing diagnostic tools for assessing ways to identify and address economic, social, and community needs

• Using the assessment to prepare a work plan of specific actions to address the identified needs

• Creating a partnership among PSO units, academic units, and state agencies to work with the defined community to implement the work plan


Goal 2: enHanCe learn-inG and reSearCH—Create new outreaCH avenueS for faCulty and StudentS

A land-grant university is at its best when the combined power of its teaching, research, and service missions come together to advance the state. At UGA, PSO faculty and staff can use their unique connections around the state to provide experiences for academic faculty and students that they cannot create on their own. These experiences not only enhance the student learning experience but also promote faculty involvement in outreach, thereby ensuring that the teaching and research missions work in full partnership in PSO programs. Over the next five years, PSO will increase the number of UGA students and academic faculty engaged in PSO

initiatives through the following strategies.

Strategy 2.1 | inCreaSe GraDuate aSSiStantSHiPS FunDeD by PSO

Funding for assistantships is essential to recruiting top talent to UGA, and PSO will commit additional funds to help UGA provide this competitive advantage. In FY 10, PSO programs supported 39 graduate students with assistantships totaling over $225,000. Through external funding and reallocation of state funds, PSO will expand its support of graduate assistantships while also providing a unique learning experience for students interested in public service and scholarship. PSO support of graduate students will contribute to the University’s goal of enhancing graduate education as outlined in its new strategic plan.

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Strategy 2.2 | eStabliSH a PubliC ServiCe SCHOlarS PrOGram

The University of Georgia’s 2005 Task Force Report on General Education and Student Learning (see page 4) recognized the importance of community and civic engagement to student learning and to supporting UGA’s mission as a land-grant institution. The Public Service Scholars program, modeled after a program at UNC–Chapel Hill, will allow undergraduate students to engage deeply in a PSO initiative that addresses critical statewide needs. Students will develop an understanding of the role of public service in society, hone their civic leadership skills, and apply academic learning to public issues.

Strategy 2.3 | eStabliSH a PubliC ServiCe FellOwSHiP PrOGram FOr tenureD FaCulty

PSO will establish a faculty fellowship program to immerse tenured faculty in the work of the PSO units. As they are able to do in the University’s Study in a Second Discipline Program, faculty members will spend a semester working in a PSO unit and have opportunities to enhance their academic courses, conduct community-based research, and apply their academic expertise to outreach initiatives. An antici-pated outcome of the Fellowship experience will be the participants’ sustained involvement with PSO once they return to their academic departments.

Strategic Goals


Strategy 2.4 | COnneCt tHe OFFiCe OF ServiCe-learninG (OSl) FaCulty DevelOPment eFFOrtS tO PSO unitS

As service-learning courses become more

common across the curriculum, there will be

a growing need for more community-based

projects and connections to outreach initia-

tives. The OSL will create more connections

between academic and PSO units in order to

provide service-learning opportunities that are

linked to PSO initiatives. In addition, the OSL

will work to reduce barriers to PSO faculty

participation in instruction.

Strategy 2.5 | enCOuraGe PSO FaCulty anD StaFF DevelOPment

Participation in professional development

activities encourages innovation and fresh

thinking among PSO faculty and staff. The

VP’s Office will support PSO faculty and staff

participation in professional development

experiences that will enhance their job

performance, especially activities that

strengthen linkages to academic departments.

Reviving the Leadership Academy will be a

top priority under this new plan.

Strategic Goal 2: continuedEnhance Learning and Research—Create New Outreach Avenues for Faculty and Students

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Strategy 2.6 | link StuDentS anD FaCulty tO internSHiP OPPOrtunitieS

PSO statewide relationships provide a platform to

facilitate internships throughout the state and connect

community needs with student interests. PSO can

address the most common challenges of internships by

defining the work plan, identifying on-site sponsors to

guide student interns, and assessing the impact of the

experiences on students. The Archway Partnership, for

example, provides community-based experiences that

enhance the student learning experience, including

opportunities to present their work before key leaders.


Goal 3: Create a flexiBle orGanizational Culture— empHaSize reGular aSSeSSment and renewal of pSo proGramS

Throughout its history, PSO has responded to times of change and crisis by sponsoring

programs that ensure that UGA resources are available to partners in Georgia and around

the world. Such moments have challenged PSO to reassess constantly its purpose in

order to understand and effectively address Georgia’s evolving economic, social, and

community needs. Responding to Georgia’s currently changing economic landscape, PSO

will focus on rethinking the way it adapts to an environment of declining state-allocated

resources by making its operations more flexible and by aggressively embracing an

entrepreneurial mindset in order to generate new funding sources.

Strong state support has built today’s vibrant and comprehensive PSO programming.

State funding is critical in order for PSO to continue delivering high-quality programs and

services. It also allows PSO units to compete for external funding, which has increased

47% in just six years. As a result, PSO programs have directly benefited Georgia

communities as well as UGA faculty and students. Attention to national trends, state needs,

and University strengths will allow PSO to continue to help its partners tackle vital issues in

the 21st-century global economy.

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Strategy 3.1 | enHanCe return On inveStment

PSO will optimize existing resources by

• marketing services in the state and region,

• examining ways to achieve administrative efficiency, and

• streamlining data collection and analysis for assessing the effectiveness of PSO programming.

Strategy 3.2 | DevelOP revenue

PSO will develop new revenue streams by

• expanding existing programs and services that generate external funds;

• increasing the number of grants and contracts;

• developing new programs and services that meet constituent needs, tap new markets, and generate revenue rather than require support of funds;

• investing in programs and technologies that have the potential to generate new funding; and

• increasing private fundraising efforts.

Strategy 3.3 | reaSSeSS DireCtiOn anD PurPOSe

PSO will continually reassess its direction and purpose by

• scanning national trends for best practices,

• engaging in regular assessment and discussion about the direction and relevance of its programs, and

• adjusting programs and resource allocation to high-priority issues and areas.


Since the 1920s, Public Service and Outreach has been the University’s ambassador to

every corner of the state, translating the land-grant mission into programs and initiatives

aimed at improving communities and the daily lives of Georgians. This strategic plan

builds on PSO’s historic connection between campus and community to establish the

following goals:



Goal 3: Create a Flexible Organizational Culture—Emphasize Regular Assessment and

Renewal of PSO Programs

This vision for PSO will be sustained, tangible, and measurable. Through its work, PSO

will help the University realize the goals outlined in its strategic plan. By implementing its

plan, PSO will continue to contribute to Georgia being a vibrant place in which to live

and work in the complex world of the 21st century.

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The Univers i ty of Georgia | Publ ic Ser vice & Outreach 17

Core ValuesPublic Service and Outreach uses the core values listed below to guide its work.

• Accessibility

• Collaboration

• Continuous Improvement

• Diversity

• Empowerment

• Engagement

• Entrepreneurship

• Mutual Respect

• Objectivity

• Responsiveness

• Results-Oriented

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Guiding PrinciplesThe following principles characterize all of PSO’s programming and inform mission and core values. Public Service and Outreach is committed to

• Marshaling the resources of the entire university when developing vigorous solutions to difficult problems

• Engaging faculty members and students in all its work

• Serving as a connector by bringing the resources of the University to bear on the needs of the state

• Addressing critical state needs, including high-risk issues that other organizations do not address

• Maximizing its state resources and fostering an entrepreneurial culture

• Producing tangible and measurable results that have long-term impact

• Continuing to be a national leader in public service and outreach delivery

• Striving to apply intellectual rigor to innovation and improvement of its services and programming

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In order to serve the needs of the state, PSO continually moni-tors and responds to internal and external trends, forces, and factors—such as those listed here—that can influence its programs and services.

THE STATE OF GEORGIA• Natural environment issues

are a major consideration in maintaining the economic viability of the state.

• K–12 education is in distress.• The state is increasing its

connection to global issues, markets, and economies.

• Demographic shifts are resulting in an increasingly urbanized, diverse, and older population.

• Requests for assistance continue to increase, thereby opening the possibility for

new products, services, and markets.

• Revenue sources are changing. In particular, state government revenues are decreasing.

• Shifts in philosophical approaches to political leadership are changing government operations.

• Local and state leadership is looking to higher education to play a role in solving complex problems facing the state.

NATIONAL • Public skepticism of public

institutions is increasing.• The economy is slowly

recovering.• Access to information

continues to accelerate at an exponential rate.

• Innovations in media and communications technology are emerging at an increasing rate.

• Societal problems are becoming more complex.

HIGHER EDUCATION • Increasingly, younger faculty

members are incorporating outreach and engagement in their work programs and are using Service-Learning as one of many teaching tools.

• Distance education is the fastest-growing segment in higher education.

• There is increasing competition from other segments of higher education.

Environmental Scan

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CRITERIA FOR ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF CURRENT AND NEw PSO PROGRAMS

During the PSO strategic planning process, the unit directors

agreed on impact measures that will be used to assess and

evaluate current and new PSO programming. The measures

will serve as benchmarks and will promote a culture of

continuous assessment and improvement. The broad

categories of assessment are outlined here.

Indicators of Success

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PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES

• what are the characteristics of the people PSO serves? How many people are served, and where are they located? Are they members of communities, businesses, or governmental or nongovernmental organizations?

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA PARTICIPANTS

• what are the characteristics of the UGA population participating in PSO programming? Are they faculty, staff, graduate students, or undergraduate students? Are the students participating through

service-learning, community service, internship, or student worker experiences?

• what UGA partnerships and collaborations have been formed in order to enhance PSO programming?

SCOPE OF PSO PROGRAMMING

• In what types of programming are UGA’s public service faculty members engaged? Teaching for-credit courses or noncredit courses? Developing and offering online for-credit and noncredit courses?

FINANCIAL PORTFOLIO

• what is the revenue portfolio of PSO programming? which

programs are supported by contracts and grants, fee for service, private giving, or state-appropriated funding? How much indirect cost recovery does PSO generate? what is the economic impact of PSO programming on the Athens area? On the state?

NARRATIVES

• what narrative descriptions best characterize the impact that PSO programming has on people? Communities? UGA students, faculty, and staff? UGA as a whole? Georgia?

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September 2010 • www.outreach.uga.edu

beyond the arch: a strategic plan for serving georgia

Documents

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